The US military says its soldiers have found rocket launchers armed with dozens of Iranian-made missiles aimed at one of its bases south of Baghdad.

“After several rockets hit FOB [Forward Operating Base] Hammer on July 11, the Third Heavy Brigade Combat Team manoeuvred to find the source of the attack,” a military statement said.

The next morning an unmanned aerial vehicle located 46 rocket launchers in the northern section of Besmaya Range Complex aimed at FOB Hammer.

Thirty-four of the launchers were armed with Iranian 107 millimetre rockets.

The US army believes the other 12 rockets were launched at the base the day before, killing one US soldier.

These would be the B-12, known to have been previously supplied by Iran to Hezbollah, a 107mm, 42 pound (19 kg.), 33 inch (838mm) long, Russian designed rocket very popular with terrorists. This rocket has a range of about six kilometers and three pounds (1.4 kg) of explosives in its warhead. Normally fired, from a launcher, in salvoes of dozens at a time, when used individually, it is more accurate the closer it is to the target. This 107mm design has been copied by many nations, and is very popular with guerillas and terrorists because of its small size and portability.